Three butterfly cases

by Enna Stellinga

Case 1: Apeira syringaria
– Lilac beauty

The patient is a five year old girl who, ever since
her birth, catches cold easily, which develop into bronchitis, constricted
breathing, and a wet cough if she does not take Flixotide. She also has
headaches and painful eyes. She is susceptible to worm infestations since she
was 8 months old, which often bring on abdominal pain. Her mother says that she
has an abnormal desire for sweets. At the end of a school day, she is grumpy,
and her mood improves if she eats a sandwich with sweet filling. She wears
glasses, and is seen by an optometrist. She has severe concentration problems
at school.

PregnancyHer mother had recurrent cystitis and often had a
hard belly. Labour was induced at 40 weeks because growth was stagnating. The
child was in a face-down position. Fortunately, she had a small head; her birth
weight was 3000 grams. Her mother immediately felt a bond with her. This
pregnancy was postponed because the mother’s mother had been very ill and died
shortly beforehand; a few months after her death, the mother became pregnant
with this child, her second.

GeneralsFood: poor appetite;
she only started to eat when she was given bread with chocolate Desires: sweet+++, soft food, cauliflower, meat Aversions: lumpy food, milk products, eggs, unfamiliar food
She does not eat much fruit or vegetables
< Sun,
warmth; she becomes weak and sweaty +++ (head, armpits)
Easily bruised, even
when just holding her firmly
Clammy, cold hands and feet
Urine
incontinence at night
Vaginal discharge when immune system is low

MindShe is highly
sensitive. She is childish in many things, and is the smallest of the class.
When her mother is tense, she imitates her facial expressions; mother sees how
she empathises. She is slow and needs time to process information, to allow it
in and to do something with it. She loves to learn.

If there is any conflict between her brother and
her parents she somewhat panics. She can become inconsolable if she is even
mildly criticised, as though she has done something wrong. She is very sensitive
to pain and if her brother hurts himself, she busies herself with him; she
loves to work with band-aids and finds them interesting. She is caring and
gentle, and is very sensitive to sounds and noise.

Her mother notices that she is preoccupied with her
own cleanliness, and she loves new clothes. She is creative. She has a strong
will of her own. At school, it is a real drama if demands are placed on her;
she becomes angry and wants to do things at her own tempo.

Medical historyBuccal thrush from 3 weeks
until 18 months
11 months: atypical fever convulsion; she was unconscious for 45 minutes
and had blue lips. After that, she did not talk for one year, although she
already knew some words.
2 years: pneumonia, 41 degree C fever, deadly ill

ObservationDuring the whole
consultation, she sat and played with the doll house, and did not say a word,
even when she was asked questions. She has a very frail build and is small for
her age. She is dressed in pink and purple, and she has a hair band with
butterflies on it. I ask her mother what her hobbies are. “Butterflies, flowers,
and rainbows”. She loves pink and purple, and she loves glitters.

Prescription: Apeira syringaria (Lilac beauty).This butterfly has a tinge of violet in it. Lilac flowers are purple. The
Apeira syringaria is a night butterfly and lives on the nectar of lilacs,
honeysuckle, elderberry, and (liguster). The themes of Apeira are cited in Jean Pierre Jansen's beautiful case:
Beautiful-looking woman Closed
person
Intense look, as if eager to
learn
Vaginitis
Catching
colds easily
Sunny, warm weather < Desire
sweets
Cold
feet
Profuse prostration
RADAR: Apeir-s (Proving K.J. Muller: Sieben Schmetterlinge)
Only mind symptoms: making mistakes, speaking
Dreams: he had committed a crime!
Themes from the proving of Muller
Powerless in wanting to help
Feeling responsible as a guide to her parents
Beauty,
aversion to wear jewellery (patient loved glitters)
Dreams he only gets attention from others when he presents himself well
Butterfly themes in this case:
Fine, light build
Small,
childish Strong desire for sweets, hypoglycaemia
Aversion to lumps in food (butterflies
have a hollow tongue; they only eat fluid food) (Food) allergies Theme of
death: Mother’s mother had died shortly beforehand. This grandmother loved
butterflies Sensitive to smog
Aversion to noises, hard sounds

Follow-upShe is full of energy. Her
teacher approached her mother saying: “She is so changed. She understands
things much better, and is more resilient.” She has become less childish and
does not cry as easily. She has less desire for sweets and starts to ask for
cheese. She is more demanding at school and dares to talk with strangers. She
has become very talkative, even in the consultation room. Her nightly enuresis
has stopped. She loves school and after school, she has the tendency to do her
own things. She still has tummy aches from time to time, and then she has
worms. After one year, she is doing very well and is never ill anymore. She is
not as preoccupied by her appearance, and is much more resilient.

Case 2: Inachis io (Peacock
butterfly)The patient is a slender
49 year old woman with a youthful appearance. She arrives at the appointment a
half hour too late, having lost her way, even though she lives close by and
knows the way. She has lost the balance between being very active and being
inactive; she can only find rest by working hard. She is not sleeping well –
her head is too busy. She is very driven in her work (teaching) but now has
difficulties listening: “I almost have to fake interest.”

Acute physical complaintsSour eructations
Stitches
in her chest Pressure in her chest, though not
on exertion Sore
spot between the shoulder blades
Menorrhagia
Headaches extending
from the neck

Early in the consultation, she starts to make hand
gestures, and I suggest that we follow the sensation method. The words and
gestures that surfaced are as follows: Caught, trapped
It
needs to come out Unreasonable anger
Sucked dry
Warmth
alternating with cold – colours: purple/blue with yellow underneath
Vague stitches
Spots
that open and close
A
repetitive gesture: fists crossed in front of chest She sees a farmer’s gate, and landscape full
of corn, cold wind
Feels
a lump in her throat and wishes to stop
Immense need for space Left
side of her face falls away, left cheek is numb; the image is dark on one side A clear difference between
right and left side (repetitive)
Something flutters, flies, something with wings
Colours red, green, yellow, blue, a heart with wings and a point in the
middle
Muscular pain
Popping
sound in ear
Cold draft of air
Bird
Half
circle with red, purple, yellow and blue
At the end, she feels more symmetrical, more
balanced, and lighter than at the beginning

Mind
Busy, stressful, fanatic. She has had a
nervous breakdown in the past
Analytical
Responsible
position at her work
Fear of failure Loves
symmetry, harmony, beautiful things
Strong intuition,
judges people accurately
Does not like to be the centre of attention Can
feel small In the
past, “mother was disappointed in me – my sister did things perfectly.” Feels as though she has “lost her way”: “What do they want from me, what do they
expect from me?” From a young age, she tried to ensure that her
sister would not have that feeling, so she tried to prepare her for everything
by explaining things (she still does this)
Tries to create clarity for the students at school She can be angry

Medical history:
14 years: cysts in breasts, which came and disappeared spontaneously, operated on
once Heavy
menses / anaemia
Migraine first
day of menses with nausea and vomiting
Very active at ovulation, clear thoughts premenstrual: empty, grumpy,
pessimistic Asthmatic
bronchitis as a young child
Severe blood loss after birth of daughter Recurrent
sinusitis frontalis/ maxillaries
Asthma worse in wet weather

Prescription: Inachis ioHibernates in its mature form. Lives on stinging
nettles and buddleia (butterfly bush). Stinging
nettles grow widely, so this butterfly is not dependent on a certain
environment. The eyespots,
which give the impression of being a dangerous animal, are only exposed if it
is threatened by an enemy, for instance a bird.

Follow-upThe reaction was
remarkable: at first, she had a severe reaction, with increased tiredness and headaches.
After that, she had no need for painkillers anymore – all the physical pains
disappeared. She sleeps better. She feels emotionally better, more in balance,
more easily able to follow her own needs and less prone to overload herself.
She has come to the conclusion that as a child, she did not receive the support
or guidance that she felt she needed. She can concentrate much better and feels
sturdier. Things do not touch her as deeply or bring her out of balance. She is
clearer, and takes on less responsibility for others. She names her quality at her work “the ability to rise
above things.” It was a tumultuous period at work, but she says “I am finding
my way.”

Inachis io themes according to Patricia Le Roux Loss of direction leading to a feeling of abandonment Suffering from lack of concentration
Restless
agitation
Metamorphosis: loves to dress up, likes lively colours. Attracted by
double faced masks: fear of imminent danger/ living a life of pleasure

Case 3: Limenitis bredowii California The
patient is a young woman of 18, who arrives completely dressed in black. She
comes due to anger, which she sometimes suppresses and sometimes expresses
towards her boyfriend: “I go into defence.” She prefers to stay at her
boyfriend’s place than at home, because at home, her father is always shouting
at her. She feels his negative energy. Her boyfriend’s house feels like a
temple of peace and quiet.

Current physical complaintsShe
is nauseous in the mornings and cannot eat. Sometimes, she vomits. She has
severe blood loss with her menses, and feels down and emotional premenstrually.Muscular
complaints: stiff muscles of legs and back in the morning. Cramps in the neck /
headache from the neck
Sleeping problems, difficulty falling asleep
Frequent colds and flu
Easily bruised

Medical history1-4
years: developmental delay, extremely dependent (supposed deafness), had
special schooling
16 years: gout in one finger, left hand
Family:
her mother was 10 years old when her own mother died

ObservationLight
build

MindSensitive
and creative. She outs her emotions through drawings. She loves horror films
and thrillers. She is very afraid to lose her boyfriend. She feels small, like
a slave: “I am at the bottom.” She feels forced to do housework. She has a poor
relationship with her sister, who is good at studying, and who is seen as
perfect, like a holy child. This hurts her deeply. She sometimes has nightmares
of accidents, where she is wounded or missing a piece of her face or paralysed.
She dreams of accidents, where she loses her way. “I don’t do things of my own
volition, I need help. I ask too often if I am doing it right.” She loves dark
clothes. She was teased at school; “I was different than the rest.”

Bombay method: I
am stuck, in a box
Stuck with knives, crazy from pain.
Butchered. So angry, and afraid
Wrapped up like a mummie. Buried
The
light is receding farther and farther away Sharp
colours
Flies, freedom,
caterpillar. Light comes to them,
happiness
Castle, temple, safe here Symbols of
peace from all cultures pass my mind’s eye Festivities.
They dance in a circle around my friend and me My
friend puts his wings around me – safe
A sort of mosaic of wings Peace
and love. Brown and yellow colours (the colours of Limentis bredowii)

Prescription:
Limenitis bredowii A
brown-yellow butterfly, which is almost invisible on the bark of the oak tree.
The alkaloids of the oak trees, which the larvae eat, are poisonous for birds.

Symptoms
recognised from the proving of Nancy Herrick:Children feel unprotected by adults. State of
unprotected adolescent. The eggs of this butterfly are laid in the open air and
are not covered, so they are unprotected. Children
without guidance, feel anxious.Anger,
irascibilityRelationships are focus of life. Relationships are good, sweet and
smooth.Dead
beloved relatives. Deep missing of mother who died some years ago.Dreams
sacred temple. Dreams of danger.Dullness,
difficulty of thinking and
comprehending. Aversion mental work. Inability to think.Oversensitive, picking up emotions of others.

Follow-up She became very ill and had the flu. Many emotions
surfaced, then she was able to sleep better, and was more peaceful in the
daytime. She says that as a child she used to flutter with her hands. She is
not so concerned about her schooling and she is less angry. She realised that
she is not reacting so strongly to her father. She was able to tell him what
was bothering her, he became angry at her but she was able to ignore his
outburst.

Her body is functioning better: she is less chilly and
she is perspiring much less. She feels supple and lithe, and she has a lesser
tendency towards bruising. She also eats fewer sweets.

Emotionally, she has made tremendous progress. She is
overcoming her anxieties and can let go of things much more easily. “My sister
and I have a better bond.” She is taking initiatives; she was the first in her
class to have a training placement. She has let go of her gothic clothes, and
feels happy. “I am where I want to be.”

Butterfly
themes in these cases: Sensitive, even highly sensitive. AntennasFine build, slender. Small, or feeling smallStrong need for sweets hypoglycaemia (need for
nectar), especially fluid food (sucking up nectar with a hollow tongue)Clothing, beauty, silk, metamorphosis: passion for
dressing upLack of guidance as a child, losing the way, unsafe,
unprotected, taking on a caring roleGreat feeling of responsibility, trying to make the
other feel safe, trying to guide the otherOwn world, dreamy, in a cocoon; other polarity: play,
amusement, funCreativeConcentration problems+++ Emotions, not the mind.
Inability to thinkSensitive to noise, sensitive to changes in
atmosphere, smogTheme of death: In Asia,
moths are seen as the manifestation of dead souls who have returned to protect
the livingDreams: of birdsAllergies/bruises

Summary

Apeira syringaria: caring, beauty Powerless
in wanting to helpFeeling
responsible as a guide to her parentsBeautyDreams
he only gets attention from others when he presents himself wellMoth
theme: all energy has been going into trying to overcome the parents’ problems

Limenitis bredowii: unprotected,
relationship
Feeling unsafeis a strong theme (the
eggs are not covered); dreams of danger/ dreams of buildings: the home
represents the protection
Parents who do not want to think about rules, they just want to feel love for
their children
Aversion to responsibility
Loving feelings; Relationships are
focus of life
Emotions, not the mind; Inability to think
Sensitivity to environmental circumstances

Mutations
of butterflies after the tsunami in Japan, Fukushima 2011, through
exposure to radioactivity: smaller wings, damage to eyes. The larvae were
hibernating in that area during the disaster.

Biography

Le Roux, Patricia. Butterflies, An innovative guide to the use of butterfly remedies
in homeopathy, Narayana Publishers, 2009

Helios is a major pharmacy in the UK possibly try asking them for what you can't find elsewhere.
http://www.helios.co.uk

Posts: 4

Re:Reply #3 on : Thu April 04, 2013, 06:42:47

we saw 3 cases of ina-io, the third being the clearest and with lasting effect:
1. a woman with borderline syndrome, a former nurse who worked with schizophrenics, now she wanted to work with us because she was dismissed, she forced herself upon us, lack of decency, flattering, demanding attention.
2. a woman, erratic, jumpy thoughts. She is kind and attractive. More centered and calm, metrorrhagia improved
3. a boy with itching eczema, fidgety, hyperactive, eats erratic and scanty quantities, constantly rubs his feet and arms. He likes loud rock music and dances wildly. He listens to the same song 20 times one after another and dances: "another one bites the dust" by Queen. Likes to dress up and disguise. Once a peacock butterfly sat on his nose and stayed there with pleasure for several minutes, he kept very still and enjoyed it. After Ina-io he made a big leap from infantile baby state to a proper schoolkid, can keep quiet, better appetite, itching eczema gone.

wherefrom these remedies could be bought. In India such remedies are not available.

Posts: 4

Limenitis bredowiiReply #1 on : Mon April 01, 2013, 09:35:47

I had a case once of a young woman who appeared to me to be encased in grief over the percepton that a disabled sibling got all her families attention and that she was neglected and lacked direction from her parents. After the remedy she blossomed. Started to engage with life confronted her parents and made some peace with them. I only saw her once after the remedy but many changes had taken place. It was an article in Links which led me to the choice. I think wha she missed was the lack of direction which was mentioned there, Jean